Vehicle wheel



- June 14, 1927. A 1,632,427

/i c. B. ALLEN/7 VEHICLE WHEEL Filed March 28. 1922 @ven/yrs Kil) Patented .lune lei, 1927.

Wit lil Si "l" it 'if ii'.

CHESTER B. ALLEN, OF MEMPHS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONEJI-ALF TO WLLIAIVI H.

RUSSE, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

Application filed March 28, 1922.

This inventionn relates to vehicle Wheels, and has tor its object to provide an improved. ttorin ot disk or solid Wheel composed of a plurality ot lay/ws et wood and formed With a dish which prevents warping and insures true running thereof.

fr special object is to provide a dished disk Wheel of wood in which the rim is so'disposed as to bring the median radial line oi the central or hub portion ol the disk Within said rim so that when a set of Wheels` are mounted on a vehicle they will track sub stantially like the ordinary spoked Wheels.

Another special object is to torni the dished wheel with an annular reversely curved zone between its center and rini and soarranged With respect to the rim that a passage for the inlating nozzle ot a pneuinatic tire may be Ytermed trom the tread ot' the rim running through the latter and opening on the concave side of said curved zone Where convenient access may be had to said .nozzle and the saine Will lie in the plane otthe Wheel where it is not in danger oif being inj ured. i

A further object is to so arrange the layers ot wood of which tl'iedisk wheel is constructed with their grains running in such relation to one ano-ther that theY AWheel will retain the proper balance ot the strains set up in the wood by the pressing oi' the dish therein, whereby there will be no tendency for the wheel to warp in use. The layers composing the wheel are also cut in a special shape betere being assembled for pressing the dish into the saine, in order that the proper balance olf strains iu the Wood may be maintained after the marginal portion of the disk is cut ott in iinishing the Wheel.

lhe invention will be tiret hereinafter descriliied in connection with the accompanying drawings, which constitute part ot this speeitiiaition, and then more specifically de lined in the claims at the end of the deseription.

In the aciannpany'ing` drawings, wherein si inilar reference charzurters are' used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several viewsz- Figure l is a broken side View oi hall: of a wheel constructed substantially in accordance with this invention, the layers of Wood being broken away to ditlerent degrees from the conave side ot the dish to the central Serial N0. 547,439.

layer to show the Way the grainsol1 said layers run with respect to one another.

Figure 2 is an opposite 'tace View of the same hall" ot the Wheel with the layers from that side to the center siniilarly broken laway to show how the grains thereol run with respect to each other and with those ofv the other side as illustrated in Figure l, portions of the outside thinner layers being also broken away to show the Way the grains thereoi" run relative 'to each other.

Figure B is a. section of the Wheel taken diainetrically and showing a reinforcing block on the convex side of the dish, and also a passage in the rim portion tor the infiating nozzle ot a pneumatic tire, and

Figure 4t is an enlarged section of the marginal or riin portion or' the wheel to show the several layers of Wood of which it is composed.

The Wheel l is formed ct a plurality7 ot layers or veneers ot' Wood which are secured together preferably by Waterproof glue or,

cement and are arranged so that the grains of the Wood of adjacent layers run in dit? Vl'erent directions. The number of the layers used may be Varied, as Well as the thickness of the layers, but as shown in the drawings the Wheel is composed of thirteen layers or veneers. The seven intermediate layers 2 are preterably oi equal thickness, while the three outside layers 3 oneach side of the Wheel are thinner than said intermediate layers and preferably ot such thickness that the total thickness of said three outside layers substantiallyl equals the thickness oi.E each ot the intermediate layers. y

rlhe preferred method of constructing the wheel consists in .iirst securing the three layers constituting the outside members 3 together with waterproof glue or ceinenhI said three layers ot uf'ood being arranged so that the grains thereof run at right angles to one ano-ther as indicated by the broken portion al; the bottoni oit Figure lt said three-ply outside members 3 are used at once or in a short time after being cemented together, they will contain enough moistiiire troni the glue or cement to prevent them iroin checking' or cracking in the press used for dishing kthe Wheel, but it said outside members have become dried out betere use, they should be nioistened betore being assembled with the intermediate layers and prevent them from cracking.

rIhere should preferably be an odd number of intermediate layers 2 used, and they are assembled or placed'together face to face With the grains ot the Wood of adjacent layers running in different directions. lWhere seven intermediate layers 2 are used, as illustrated in the drawings, one of the threeply outside members is laid down first with its upper layer or veneer arranged with itsy grain runningvertically, as at il, Figure 1.

.The first intermediate layer 2 is then laid upon said outside member with its grain running at 115 degrees to that of the said outside members upper or inside layer, as at 5 in Figure 1. he nent intermediate layer 2 is then laid with its grain ruiming at 904 degrees to that oit the inside layer of theoutside member, as at G in Figure 1, after which the next intermediate layer is laid in order with its grain running at 415 degrees'to the nent lovver layer and at 135 degrees to the inside layer d et' the iii-st. laid outside member, as shown at T inFigure 1. The middle intermediate layer is then laid, as at 8 in Figures 1r and 2, With its grain running vertically, after Which the next three intermediate' layers are laidl in the saine' V- relation as the i'rstthree, 5, 6 and 7, but in the reverse order, as shown at 9, 10 and 11 in Figure 2, the top outside member 3 being tinally placed with its inner layer having its grain running vertically, as` at 12 in Figure 2. It will thus be seen 'that the severaly layers used in making up the Wheel are placed in such a Way With relation to the ruiming of the grains of the Wood thereof that said' grains are disposed in a, reverse spiral order from one side ofthe Wheel toV the other, and` that each two layers Wliichare arranged the same distance from the central layer have the grain running in the same direction. It has been tound by long `erperience that this reverse spiral order of arranging the grains of the layers prevents the wheel from warping because it gives theproper balance to the strains or stresses set up in the wood When the dish is pressed into the disk, Whereas if said layers are arranged in a continuous spiral trom one side to the other of the wheela slipping act-ion in the nature of a' corkscrew movement between thel layers is apt to take place which destroysv the proper balance of the stresses or strains in the Wood with the result that the Wheel Vwill' Warp.

Long experience has also shown that in order to maintain the proper balance of the` strains in the Wood after the wheel is hnished by the removal of the marginal portion thereof in trimming to size, it is important that the layers be circular in form before being assembled, and that said layers be placed together concentrically, so that the distance from the center to the periphery oiE each layer will be the saine all around. Heretotore angular pieces have been used in building` up the layers and it has been found that When the irregular projections around the edge ot' the wheel are cut ofi after the dish is pressed in, the removal of greater extents ot the g 'ain at some points than at others destroys the balance between the strains which have been set up and balanced during said pressing` operation. the proper centering et the assembled layers in the press a central bore 13 is preferably formed in the disk to 'lit over a pin' in the press (not shown). lWhen the several layers are assembled. Water-proof glue or cement is placed between them, and the disk is lett in the press after the dish has been formeruntil said glue or cement has set, so that when it is removed the Wheel cannot return to its original tlat torni, or warp or buckle, because in order to do so the individual layers ot' wood must slip on each other, which is preventedv by the set Olue or adhesive substance between them.

The .term and extent 'oit the dish in the Wheel may be varied to suit ditllerent requirements or tastes, but: as shown best in Figure 3 of the dra-Wings the dish includes an annular reversely curved zone' 14 between the that of thev central portion. The rim on thev concaife side otthe dish, however, is preterabl'y pressed outward slightly beyond the plane of the central portion 15 when thev dish is formed. By forming theA dish With the annular reversely curved Zone '14' it is possible .to provide a passage 18 tl'irough the rim lrom the tread thereof to the concave side of the dish for receiving the inflating nozzle ot a pneumatic tire (not shown), soA

that the Wheel may be used with stock rims and tires and the V,nozzle will lie in the concave of the dish Where it is not apt to be injured when the-Wheel is ruiming.

The central portion of the Wheel may be 'reinforced by the addition of a circular block of Wood 119, Figure 3, which is suitably secured on the convex side ot the dish so as to cover the central flat portion 15 and the adjacent portions of the dish. Other modifications may be made in the construction herein slioivn and described Without departing from the present invention. It ivill bel To insurey portion and a, substantially Het rini portion and having a curved portion in the form of :i section of a torus taken transversely to the exis thereof joining said Central and riin portions, Substantially es set forth.

15. A dished Wooden disk for vehicle Wheels having an annular uniformly Curved portion betni'een its center und rim` and a block secured to the wheel und .iittingY against the central portion thereof, substantially us set forth.

16. A wooden dist for vehicle `Wheels composed of lamina-ted Wood and formed with n flut central portion und a flat portion adjacent to its rim, with a curved portion between, and n.11 aperture leading from e. point Within said curved portionV on the outer face of the disk through the rim to form a passage for n tire valve, substantially as set forth.

17. A disk for vehicle Wheels having e flat central portion und en annuler convex portion on one side thereof, and ti smaller disk on said Wheel having its edge tapered to conform to the contour of seid convex portion, substantially as set forth.

18. A Wooden disk for vehicle Wheels made up of a plural-ity of layersof Wood secured together bynn adhesive to form a solid structure, seid disk being formed with a lint Central portion and o. flirt rim portion with e curved depression between seid rim portion und said central portion, substantially es set forth.

19. A lninirmted wooden disk for vehicle Wheels having L fiat central portion in zt plaine parallel to but offset fronrthe plane of the rim, lnd e. smmller disk against seid flot eentrnl offset portion, substantially :is set forth.

20. A laminated disk for vehicle Wheels comprising e central layer of Wood and .1 plurality of layers of Wood secured thereto on each side thereof, the grains of adjoining layers being angularly disposed and the grains of the layers :it equal distances from seid central layer being similarly disposed, substantially es set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my neme to this speeilietrtion. Y

CHESTER B. ALLEN. 

